KHIEM NGUYEN (Age 28, Austin, TX): Inspired by midcentury modern and Japanese design, Nguyen is a true craftsman. His passion for crafting began with photography and led to him becoming an open major in art school so he could "get (his) hands into everything." After college, Nguyen and his fiancée moved to Austin, where they began A & K Woodworking & Design, specializing in furniture and wood crafts.
Second, learning how to read lumber dimensions, like knowing what 1×2 or 2×12 actually means, is really important. Understanding softwood lumber dimensions will help you to read woodworking build plans, shop for lumber, and understand the general measurements for your projects. I’ve provided a simple explanation to lumber sizes along with a free lumber size chart printable here!

Furnishing and decorating your patio is not an easy task – but then again, it has to be done! Your patio is obviously one of the most important rooms in your home, as you can easily turn it into your little piece of Heaven, your “safe spot” in your home where you can retreat whenever you want to ignore the world and just spend some time alone all by yourself.

Hardwoods are separated into two categories, temperate and tropical hardwoods, depending on their origin. Temperate hardwoods are found in the regions between the tropics and poles, and are of particular interest to wood workers for their cost-effective aesthetic appeal and sustainable sources.[9] Tropical hardwoods are found within the equatorial belt, including Africa, Asia, and South America. Hardwoods flaunt a higher density, around 65lb/cu ft as a result of slower growing rates and is more stable when drying.[9] As a result of its high density, hardwoods are typically heavier than softwoods but can also be more brittle.[9] While there are an abundant number of hardwood species, only 200 are common enough and pliable enough to be used for woodworking.[11] Hardwoods have a wide variety of properties, making it easy to find a hardwood to suit nearly any purpose, but they are especially suitable for outdoor use due to their strength and resilience to rot and decay.[9] The coloring of hardwoods ranges from light to very dark, making it especially versatile for aesthetic purposes. However, because hardwoods are more closely grained, they are typically harder to work than softwoods. They are also harder to acquire in the United States and, as a result, are more expensive.[9]

This is definitely going to be one of the easiest woodworking projects you’ll be reading about today. So why not just get started? The tutorial link is given below. Just do exactly what they are saying in the tutorial and you will end up making a beautiful wooden doormat just like the one in the image above. They are using pine wood to build this doormat. You can choose any wood material that best suits your budget.

This is another example of small woodwork projects that require good time and woodworking skills. This item is built using multiple wooden parts. Each part is shaped in a specific design and then all parts are attached together to make the final TV set. I have never tried building this one, mostly because I don’t own an iPhone, but also because making this item is not an easy task. By the way, it works fine with all kinds of phones.

Some tools that are required for this project are Miter saw, drilling machine, pencil, tape measure, screws, etc. Those, who prefer a video tutorial instead, can visit the below link to a YouTube video tutorial that illustrates the process of creating a DIY Beer Bottle Crate. The video tutorial explains every step properly so that anyone can make a Beer bottle crate easily. I could write a whole post on wood species as each species has unique characteristics and traits. But, one of the most common types of wood used in DIY projects and furniture building is pine wood (a softwood). Pine is an affordable and readily available option at your local home improvement store and it comes in many sizes. I highly recommend using pine for beginner woodworking projects. Then, as you improve your skill, try working with some different wood species! Some tools required for this project are hole saw, drilling machine, pencil, tape measure, clamps, etc. This tutorial explains every step properly with images so that anyone can make a wooden sofa sleeve easily. Those, who prefer a video tutorial, can visit the below link to a YouTube video that illustrates the process of building a DIY Sofa Sleeve Cupholder.

We will suggest you select the simple Birdhouse if you are new at woodworking but be sure to select its design with respect to the place where you are going to hang/place it. One of our simple Birdhouse tutorials will help you building one. We have managed to include a source tutorial below that will help you to understand illustrates and the instruction to building a simple Birdhouse.

For many of us, the moment we learned that a 2×4 board is actually 1.5 inches x 3.5 inches was simply mind-blowing. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that the board has been planed down to eliminate irregularities. At one point, many years ago, 2x4s actually were 2 inches x 4 inches, but their rough surfaces made them difficult to stock and handle. The old terms, such as 2×4 or 4×4, are still used, and are known as the “nominal” size of the board. These nominal sizes are used because they are easier to say and they stick to tradition. Now, thanks to a lawsuit, most big box stores list the nominal and actual sizes of lumber. If you bought this superb polished table in a store, it would cost you a fortune, but our detailed instructions will help you make one for less than $100. And it looks like highly polished stone, but no-one would know it’s actually made from concrete with a wooden base. Also, you can embellish the top with leaf prints, like the table shown here, or personalize it with glass or mosaic tiles or imprints of seashells. Here’s an easier way to stain or seal chairs, lattice or anything with numerous tight recesses. Pour the stain into a clean, empty spray bottle ($3). Spray the stain onto the project and wipe up the excess with a brush or rag. The sprayer will squirt stain into all those tight, hard-to-reach cracks and joints. — Valrie Schuster. Learn more about staining wood.
Making an art or a design on a wooden piece is a hectic task and requires good art skills. But there is another much easier way to carve a beautiful art on any wood surface. For this, you will need the image or graphic that you want to transfer, a piece of wood, freezer paper, etc. I, myself have made several such designs. At the source below, you can find a step by step guide for transferring a graphic image to the wood. The best thing about the toy chest is that it is very easy to build. All you need is the basic understanding of woodworking and a few tools to get started. You can also modify your kid’s toy chest in any way you want or build in a different design or color different from the one pictured above. You can try some other designs for your plan in the below-mentioned link. Build your own platform bed frame at your home by following the source linked tutorial given above. The source link also includes more pictures that can help you to build a better bed frame. You can see a step by step set of instructions and guidelines to follow with real life pictures, as well as you can download a PDF file detailing the list of materials and tools you’ll need, know about the length of every board, and most importantly color-coded illustrations of the building process. $50 - $100Alaska Dream HouseBathroomBedroomChildren's and Kid's Room Furniture and Toy PlansCraftroomDesk, Desk Systems and Project Table Plansdining roomentry wayFarmhouse Style Furniture PlansIndustrial Style Furniture PlansKids and Toysliving roomModern Style Furniture PlansNursery and BabyofficeRustic Furniture Plansstorage and organizationTeensIntermediateSide and End Table PlansBuffet, Sideboard and Credenza PlansCabinet PlansNightstands We have a small dining room area in our farmhouse that is separate from the living room and kitchen. The area is much smaller in space than our last house. I was little confused that our typical rectangular farmhouse table was not going to cut it. So, I walked in I came to know that we needed to build a round dining table. So, I searched for a plan design idea and build a very own round farmhouse dining table. I was an amazing DIY plan, I just love it!
I know this seems really simple and you may already know how to read a tape measure so just hear me out on this one! Often times with woodworking you need to make exact measurements and cuts and it’s rarely pretty even numbers like 15 inches or 15 1/2 inches. It’s usually like 15 5/8 inches or 15 9/16 inches. So, really knowing how to read a tape measure in its entirety is important. And I’ve created a quick post on how to read a tape measure the easy way along with a helpful free printable. Furnishing and decorating your patio is not an easy task – but then again, it has to be done! Your patio is obviously one of the most important rooms in your home, as you can easily turn it into your little piece of Heaven, your “safe spot” in your home where you can retreat whenever you want to ignore the world and just spend some time alone all by yourself.
As soon as I came across this tutorial, I didn’t wait any longer to start building one. Some of the items you need for this project are hardwood plywood, saw, glue, nails, drilling machine, etc. The video is very easy to follow for anyone with basic woodworking knowledge and experience. The first source link also includes a step by step procedure in plain English for those, who are not comfortable enough with the video tutorial.

From the source tutorial, you can get illustrates to the instruction about the plan. Everything is fairly described as diagrams, images, the list of supplies and tools need etc. The process to this plan is very easy to understand and follow for if you are having some basic woodworking knowledge. Make sure to collect all the supplies you need before you start with the project. You may even ask any question directly in the comment section of the tutorial post and also comment the images of your final product if you have completed it. Either way, I hope that you will manage to build this one nicely.​

Relax and enjoy your outdoor space with this smart patio combo consisting of a sofa and chair. You can adjust the size completely to make it fit perfectly onto your patio or deck, and both the sofa and chair have arms that double as trays for al fresco dining. And you can make your own cushions to fit, or use shop-bought ones and add your own ties, if necessary.
If you have to pick up long lengths of wood from the lumberyard, throw a spring clamp in the back of your vehicle. Use the clamp to attach the warning flag to the end of the protruding lumber. The clamp’s easy to slip on and off, and you won’t have to fuss around with staples, nails or string. — Steve Parker. Plus: Learn more about how to transport large items in your truck. I’m 91 years old, but I still enjoy spending time in the wood shop. I like to make wooden toys and give them to my great-grandkids and charity groups. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to use emery boards—the kind for filing fingernails— to sand small parts. Emery boards come in different sizes, and some are more abrasive than others, so I keep an assortment on hand. — Joe Aboussleman “I do a lot of finish-sanding freehand, without a sandpaper block, so I can smooth edges and get into nooks and crannies. But the finer grits are usually bonded to thinner paper and, at least for me, the paper is too thin and ends up tearing long before the grit wears out. So I apply duct tape to the back of the sandpaper. The sandpaper is still flexible enough to sand a tight radius and it’s far more durable. You can use this super-strong sandpaper like a shoeshine rag.” — Chuck Merchant Pocket screws create a solid, simple-to-make joint. Because of the size and visibility of the hole, it’s usually located in areas that are concealed or rarely seen (though special plugs can be used to fill the holes.) Craig Sommerfeld, founder of The Kreg Tool Company, is credited with popularizing pocket screw joinery in the 1980s. The company today is the leader in creating the jigs, clamps and screws used to create pocket screw joints. Learn how to use a pocket screw jig in woodworking projects. Instead of permanently mounting my 6-in. vise to a work-bench, I attached it to scrap plywood so I can clamp it wherever I need it. Stack two pieces of 3/4-in. plywood and screw them together with 1-1/4 in. drywall screws. Mark the vise-mounting holes on the plywood and drill 3/4-in. guide holes through both pieces. Recess the nut by drilling through the bottom sheet with a 1-in. spade bit using the 3/4-in. hole as a guide. Fasten the vise to the plywood with bolts sized to match the vise-mounting holes. If the bolt shafts are too long, cut them off with a hacksaw. — LuAnn Aiu. Plus: Learn how to use vise grips to pull nails. Building a bookcase or bookshelf is a fairly simple woodworking plan that you can get done in just a day or two. This is also a low-cost project as well and since the project idea is free, you don't have to worry about busting through your budget. Just follow the simple steps in the tutorial and enjoy your own company building a simple bookcase on this weekend.

Sanding small items is tricky, as they’re hard to clamp in a vise to work on them. So instead of bringing the sandpaper to the workpiece, I bring the workpiece to the sandpaper. I glue sheets of sandpaper to a piece of plywood; 60 and 100-grit on one side and 150 and 220-grit on the other. Spray adhesive works well for this. Since there’s sandpaper on both sides, my sanding board doesn’t slide around on the bench. Check out these small projects!

Another important factor to be considered is the durability of the wood, especially in regards to moisture. If the finished project will be exposed to moisture (e.g. outdoor projects) or high humidity or condensation (e.g. in kitchens or bathrooms), then the wood needs to be especially durable in order to prevent rot. Because of their oily qualities, many tropical hardwoods such as teak and mahogany are popular for such applications.[9]

A small oak table is a very useful wooden item for every household. You can yourself make a nice, strong and beautiful oak table suitable for any purpose. See the image below. As you can see, it is a small, yet good enough table to be used as a coffee table, lamp stand, breakfast table, etc. You can also find many other design variants on the internet. Choose the one you want for yourself and start making it now.

Isn’t this amazing that instead of having to throw that old furniture piece away, you can now reuse it to build something even more beautiful? If you do not like this particular idea, there are many other re-purposeful furniture items you can build from an old dresser. Just search the internet for other DIY project ideas. Here is a link to the video tutorial that explains the same procedure in a more practical manner that you can easily follow through. I got this idea from a Pinterest post. The final product looks so beautiful that I just couldn’t wait to make one for myself. This was somewhat a different experience from my other regular DIY projects as it doesn’t involve making something from scratch, but turning an existing wood piece into another one. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much and the final product was very satisfying. The tutorial I used is linked below. I am sharing here a link to the detailed tutorial written by Pete at diypete.com, who shares the step by step process for making a wonderful barrel coffee table from scratch. He also tells you what items you’ll need for this project and where to find them. For example, you can buy an old whiskey barrel online or from a local whiskey store for a few bucks, if you haven’t already got one. You can transfer a graphic on any wood piece of your choice, including a frame, top of a table, etc. The surface should be clean and big enough for the graphic paper. I am also sharing a video tutorial here that explains in detail the process of transferring any graphic to a wooden surface using a freezer paper. Just gather the items you need and follow this video to carve your favorite designs on your favorite wood items. Finally, as I shared in my post last week on how I learned woodworking, I learned how to use power tools by watching YouTube videos and then just trying them out for myself. I highly recommend this method to learn how to use your power tools. There are lots of videos on specific models of tools too. So, watch a few how-to videos and very importantly, review the tool manual and safety guide for your own tools. Then, go ahead and try the tool out yourself and start using it! Building a bookcase or bookshelf is a fairly simple woodworking plan that you can get done in just a day or two. This is also a low-cost project as well and since the project idea is free, you don't have to worry about busting through your budget. Just follow the simple steps in the tutorial and enjoy your own company building a simple bookcase on this weekend.
Historically, woodworkers relied upon the woods native to their region, until transportation and trade innovations made more exotic woods available to the craftsman. Woods are typically sorted into three basic types: hardwoods typified by tight grain and derived from broadleaf trees, softwoods from coniferous trees, and man-made materials such as plywood and MDF.
A while back, I reached for my two containers of epoxy and noticed that the resin in one container had crystallized exactly like honey that’s been in the cupboard too long. The solution is exactly the same too: Set the container in a bowl of hot tap water. After about 15 minutes, I emptied the container and refilled it with hot water. After about a half hour, the epoxy regained its normal consistency. Good as new! — Ken Holte
Aside from the privacy it offers, a latticework porch trellis is a perfect way to add major curb appeal to your home for $100 or less. The trellis shown here is made of cedar, but any decay-resistant wood like redwood, cypress or treated pine would also be a good option. Constructed with lap joints for a flat surface and an oval cutout for elegance, it’s a far upgrade from traditional premade garden lattice. As long as you have experience working a router, this project’s complexity lies mostly in the time it takes to cut and assemble. Get the instructions complete with detailed illustrations here.